Pinterest. The social media site that is excellent for generating great content and most importantly, driving traffic.
So why is it sometimes overlooked by businesses? Simply because some aren't sure how to use the site and just don't believe that it can help increase traffic.
Recent statistics show that Pinterest has a staggering 70 million users. This statistic alone demonstrates the huge exposure actively using the social media site could bring to your business. Not sure how to use Pinterest effectively? Look no further, this blog aims to demonstrate how your business can use the social media site to generate traffic and subsequently turn that traffic into customers.
Understand The 'Power Of Pinning'
80% of pins are re-pins. This means that when someone takes an image from your website and pins it on Pinterest, the image is not only exposed to a whole new demographic but is linked directly back to your website. This is a great way to generate traffic and, almost unknowingly, market your business.
However, it is crucial that you make it easy for users to do this by ensuring that you use images that will inspire people. Also, by including the Pinterest logo on your website you will encourage audiences to not only pin images they like but to also visit your Pinterest profile.
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It's good to pin images from other sites and sources but it is even more important to create your own content. You are far more likely to encourage engagement and interaction with audiences if you do so. If you are unsure as to how to do this, look at other businesses and see what images they are using, study your other social media profiles and see what content you have previously created, see what you can adapt from previous social media campaigns.
Remember, whilst Pinterest is an image-based site, this doesn't mean that you can't post images that are simply made up of text. Finding new ways to display your content can prove extremely beneficial and often attracts the most attention. So get creative!
This Is Your Call To Action
Don't think that just because you have pinned your image that audiences will take it upon themselves to engage with it. You may find that some will, however, most audiences interact better with a call to action. This gives them a reason to engage with your content. You can even include your call to action within the image!
Your call to action could be a link to your website therefore driving traffic from one site to another or providing audiences with a link to your social media sites and encouraging them to follow you on Twitter - it could even be a link to your most recent blog post.
What you decide as your call to action is up to you, however the main focus should be to get the audience involved and engaging with your content.
Use Your Pins For Promotion
Pinterest should be used for promotional purposes too. Just remember there is a difference between promoting your business and bombarding audiences.
You want to ensure that audiences are aware of your business and what you offer, however you also want to ensure that your Pinterest account is used professionally. You could use Pinterest to promote your latest products, or ask for feedback on potential products, subsequently using the site to conduct free market research.
The main thing to remember is that whilst promoting your products and services you must also try to inject some personality into your posts in order to be able to create a positive online brand. However, you do not want to turn audiences away by over-promoting, achieving the right balance is crucial here!
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Don't Get Bogged Down In Content, Be Inventive
Many predicted that throughout 2014, visual content would continue to grow. Pinterest is one social media site that has certainly proven this.
Ensure that you keep your profile exciting and current by varying the content that you post. This can often be a great way to encourage engagement and therefore increase traffic. Videos are a perfect way to inject personality into your profile and likewise tutorials can also attract audience attention. This is your time to be creative and find different ways to deliver content. Look to other businesses for inspiration, especially those that are operating within your industry.
One key thing to remember here is to closely monitor anything new that you try so that you can identify what works and what doesn't work. Sometimes you just have to implement a trial and error system, not everything will work but it will pay off to try different things!
Pin The Trends
Another statistic which needs no explaining is this - pins featuring trending topics see a 94% increase in click-through-rate. If you want to increase traffic ensure that the content you post is seasonal and on trend. Simple.
- More Pinterest stats: 120 Amazing Pinterest Statistics (Craig Smith)
Treat Pinterest Like You Would Any Other Social Media Site
In order to encourage traffic, you first need to use Pinterest like you would any other social media site. This may mean that over the first few months, you need to invest a little more time and money into closely monitoring your profile and ensure that it is running efficiently. It will also give you time to fully understand how the social media site works and you should begin to notice the types of images which receive engagement and the images that don't work as effectively. Then after a few months, once you have built up your confidence, you can afford to run the profile as you would with any other social media site. Remember the old saying you only get out what you put in - this directly applies to the setting up a of new social media profile. If you are not prepared to invest a little time and money in the beginning, it is likely you will end up spending more money in the long run.
It is also crucial that you make sure you include your website and business details on your Pinterest profile, but make sure it is the same information that you have used on your other social networking sites! You want to ensure it is as easy as possible for traffic to visit your website and likewise you want to ensure traffic on your website is informed about your social media profiles. One easy way to do this is to include the social media profile logos on your website, for example the Pinterest logo, so that users can be encouraged to visit your profiles on other platforms.
Another crucial way to generate traffic is to use your other social media profiles to promote your Pinterest account. It is likely that if a customer is viewing your profile on one social media site they may be interested in viewing your other pages, so therefore you want to make this process as easy as possible. It is also a great way to share content and generate traffic between each of your different online profiles.
If you stick to these easy tips and ensure you remember them every time you go to post something, you should see a dramatic increase in traffic. Remember, it is key that you observe what works and what doesn't work when using Pinterest, or any other social media site, as you will then be able to tailor your content. It is all about finding what content works for your business and then using this to generate traffic and drive it to your other online platforms. So there you have it, generating traffic doesn't seem like such a scary thought now does it? Do you have any other ideas or top tips for creating traffic? If so, let us know.
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